


Nothing Is Real (Please Tell Me You Are)

by Calamity_Hero_Awakens



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Panic Attacks, Psychological Horror, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29185617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calamity_Hero_Awakens/pseuds/Calamity_Hero_Awakens
Summary: Brian gently took Jay by the hand and held it firmly, lifting it up to press his cheek into Jay’s palm. Their eyes met and he almost expected Jay to yank his hand away in panic, but he didn’t; instead, he relaxed a little, tears forming in his eyes again, and let out a breath.“It’s okay,” Brian said, smiled, and pulled Jay into a hug he didn’t resist. “It's okay. I’m here.”
Relationships: Jay Merrick/Brian Thomas | Hoody
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Nothing Is Real (Please Tell Me You Are)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OnThis_RainyDay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnThis_RainyDay/gifts).



He had watched Alex leave his apartment before sneaking in, searching for some clue that could lead him to something else. He was stuck in a dead end with nothing to go off of and simply waiting for something to happen was driving him insane; he wasn’t exactly known for his patience.

In the apartment, he hadn’t found anything but a tape which he had quickly shoved into his pocket before Alex had returned. Fear had pushed Jay to hide in the hall closet and he had listened as Alex had called him and left a voicemail, entering his room and emerging a moment later with Jay’s flashlight in his hand. The man mentally facepalmed - how could he have left it? - and watched in fearful anticipation as Alex began to search the living space, searching for him.

When the man entered the kitchen, Jay quietly crept from the closet and entered the bedroom. With Alex in the next room, his only option for escape was the window; though it wasn’t his first option, especially being on the second floor, his options were limited and he hesitated for only a moment before sliding open the window and throwing his leg over the windowsill. He had gotten both legs over and was about to chance a jump down when two hands landed on his shoulders, wrenching him back into the room.

Falling back, Jay landed on his back on the carpet, hitting his head hard. A pitiful groan escaped his lips and his hands traveled up to tenderly grasp at his head. He distantly heard Alex yelling at him and then he was tugged vertical again by a fist grabbing the front of his jacket, hauling him to his feet and making his head spin. His body felt hot and his stomach churned dangerously, threatening to empty itself as the pain in Jay’s head spiked, making him whimper.

“-the hell’s wrong with you? Jay?” Alex was saying, just as angry as before though now confused. The man figured Jay had hit his head harder than he had initially thought but it served him right.

Pushing the flashlight into his hand, Alex threw the man toward the door, telling him to get out and not come back, to stay away, but Jay could barely hear him, stumbling into the doorframe and cracking open his eyes to see the dark hallway that loomed in front of him. Running his hands along the wall, he managed to find his way to the front door, letting himself out.

The light outside the door wasn’t very bright but it still stung his eyes and Jay squinted, turning his head away. When he opened them again, he felt sick, knowing for sure that he was going to be sick.

At the end of the long porch, the railing began to fade into static, some of the wood fading out of existence while the rest of it splintered into fragments of neon colours, the colours of a channel that wouldn’t come in, the lines waving back and forth as if taunting him.

Jay stumbled backwards, falling onto his backside and kicking his legs out in panic, trying to push himself away. Scrambling back on his hands and knees, he finally managed to get himself back to his feet, dashing down the steps as fast as he could and missing the last few, sliding down and landing on his butt again, this time on the concrete.

Chancing a glance behind him, Jay found that the wood continued to deteriorate, splintering into static and colours and too loud sounds as it followed after him, moving faster now. Jay’s heart was pounding, threatening to beat out of his chest as he sprinted across the parking lot and into the dark forest, the sun missing from the sky and making it nearly impossible to see where he was going. Regardless, his feet pounded against the dirt, legs burning with every step. His head was still throbbing but he could barely tell over the ringing in his ears, the screeching sound of the trees screaming at him.

Growing tired, Jay paused to catch his breath and when he looked up, he found that the trees were winding down, twisting around each other and caging him in.

“No, no! Stop!” Jay screeched, dropping to his knees and covering his ears, shutting his eyes tight as he balled himself up. His entire body was curved over in a protective embrace as he tried to make it stop, make it go away. His arms shook and he panted against the dirt, tears dripping from his eyes when he finally chanced to open them.

The ringing was slowly dying down and the forest had returned to its normal state, though there was a familiar figure jogging toward him now.

“No, no no no no,” Jay repeated over and over to himself as he fell back, frantically pushing himself back until his back met with a tree, cornered. The hooded man approached slowly, the dark, simple features of his mask staring down at Jay and making him feel sick all over again.

Finally, the man squatted down only a few feet from Jay, reaching a hand out to touch him.

“No! Don’t- Don’t touch me!” Jay screamed, flinching away from the man’s touch. His eyes were wild, his breathing fast and shallow, whole body trembling in uncontrollable fear.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” the cryptic’s rough voice said before the hood was pushed back and the mask was pulled away, revealing the face of Brian. He gently took Jay by the hand and held it firmly, lifting it up to press his cheek into Jay’s palm. Their eyes met.

“Listen to me. You’re safe and nothing’s going to hurt you again. I’m here now. Trust me, I won’t let anybody hurt you.”

Brian almost expected Jay to yank his hand away in panic, but he didn’t; instead, he relaxed a little, tears forming in his eyes again, and let out a breath.

“I…”

“It’s okay,” Brian said, smiled, and pulled Jay into a hug he didn’t resist. “It's okay. I’m here.”

Jay was left wrapping his arms around Brian’s torso, pressing himself desperately against the other man and burying his face in the man’s shoulder. His sobs were loud, though muffled by the body he was pressed against, and Jay didn’t hold back, crying and whimpering pitifully into Brian’s shoulder.

Brian’s gloved hand pressed against the back of Jay’s head, holding him in place as he rested his chin on the man’s head, rocking him slowly back and forth and shushing him. He knew Jay would calm down in his own time so he simply held him, rocking him slowly as he hummed some song that Jay thought he might have known but wasn’t sure about.

By the time his cries subsided, Jay was left trembling like a leaf in a storm, the cold of the night and residual emotion shaking him to the core.

“Here,” Brian said, not hesitating to pull away just a bit so that he could yank off his hoodie and give it to Jay. The man didn’t want to take it but Brian insisted and even helped him slide it on over his jacket. The warmth from it was intense and Jay sighed, wiping his nose on the back of his hand and then off on his jeans.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized vaguely, wanting to curl in on himself and disappear from existence. It was bad enough that he was falling apart; he didn’t need to drag Brian down with him.

“Jay,” Brian sighed, tilting the man’s chin up with a finger, “you have nothing to apologize for, alright? I’ll happily be here anytime you need me.”

“You shouldn’t have to be,” Jay said, looking off to the side. “I should be able to pull myself together. I shouldn’t have to need you.”

“Jay,” Brian repeated, drawing the man’s eyes back to him. “I’m happy to do it. And you can’t be strong all the time. No one can. It’s okay to be weak sometimes, especially now. So let me do the worrying for the both of us, hm?”

Jay sighed, leaning forward and burying his face back in Brian’s shoulder. With only a tshirt between his face and Brian’s skin, Jay could feel the man’s warmth more intensely than before and he pressed into him.

Brian’s arms wrapped around him, simply holding him and comforting him until he finally pulled back a little, cupping Jay’s cheeks in his hands.

“How about a kiss?” he suggested, leaving plenty of room for Jay to deny if he wanted, but like every time Brian had suggested such a thing, Jay happily leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, loving the warmth and feel of them pressing back against his. It was both comforting and grounding and suddenly, he didn’t feel nearly as cold as he had moments before.

As Brian pressed a warm kiss to Jay’s forehead, Jay realized he didn’t know what he would do without Brian.


End file.
